Flow control unit



Oct. 21, 1952 ALLEN 2,614,795

FLOW CONTROL UNIT Filed Oct. 27, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 W n" 39 3a r 1 23 3/ l 27 22 s HERBERT ALLEN IN NTOR.

Oct. 21, 1952 H ALLEN I 2,614,795

' FLOW CONTROL. UNIT Filed Oct. 2'7. 194'? 2 SHEETS SHEET 2,

HERBERT ALLEN mmvm /Q.W%t.

Patented Oct. 21, 1 952 FLOW CONTROL UNIT Herbert Allen, Houston, Tex., assignor to-Cameron Iron Works, Houston, Tex.,

Texas a corporation of Application October 27, 1947, Serial No. 782,289

5 Claims. (Cl. 251-156) I 1 This invention relates to a flow control or flow wing for use on an oil well or the like for controlling the flow therefrom.

In order to conserve oil and gas in producing the same from an oil well, and for the purpose of complying with the conservation laws of the various States and jurisdictions in which oil is produced,'it is customary to provide oil wells and the like with means for throttling the flow therefrom in amounts depending upon various factors includin the ability of the wells to produce oil, the ratio'of the oil produced to the gas for various rates of flow, etc.

For the purpose of determining the ability of the well to produce oil, it is customary when a well is first brought in to cause it to produce for a given length of time through a standardsize of choke or orifice. After certain test periods the well may then be placed upon production through an orifice of suitable size, or it known as a variable choke mechanism designed to be varied in its throttling eifect so as to permit the production of the desired amount of oil from the well. In the case of the use of fixed chokes for testing, it is of course necessary after it has been determined what size of choke shall be used that the choke on the well be changed to provide the proper size. It is also'true that in the course of production of a well a choke will eventually become eroded or cut out by the action of the liquid flowing therethrough and the solid particles contained in the liquid, and it will be necessary to remove the same and substitute a new choke of the proper size. The member having the restricted flow opening therethrough is customarily referred to either as a choke or as a flow bean.

Various means have been devised in the past for holdin these flow beans and for providing a quick change from one flow bean to another the bean.

It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide an improved flow controlling unit for use on an oil well or the like. i I

may be placed on production through What is Another object of this invention is to provide a simple and compact device capable of performing all of the functions heretofore sought in a flow controlling assembly.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide in a single compact unit a flow Wing which may be readily and quickly changed to provide either an adjustable or a positive, or fixed, flow bean whichever may be desired, together with a valvefor closing off flow through the flow wing While changing or replacing the choke or flow bean therein.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the typereferred to in which the choke or flow bean cannot beremoved for replacement or change while the valve which is movable adjustable indicator adapted to indicate the position of an adjustable choke.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of type of choke.

this invention.

- y In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal cross section illustrating a flow wing constructed in accordance with this invention and arranged for use as an adjustable choke.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the device in use as a fixed ornon-adjustable This view also illustrates the use of the device for closing off flow to the choke for the purpose of replacing or changing the same.

Referring. now more in detail to thedrawings,

the numeral I indicates the body of the flow wing or controller constructed in accordance with this invention, the same being provided with a suitably internally threaded inlet opening 2 and with a correspondingly internally threaded outlet opening 3.

Threaded intothis outlet opening 3 is a special fitting which may be termed a substitute i. The

,body I iscounterbored from the threaded outlet valve seat member 1 is cut away to provide a re.-;

cess 9 adapted to receive a flexible annular sealing ring H1.

The seat member 1 is held. in; place within. the body I by means of the substitute-4' which engages the seat member with its flared substantially conical inner end surface H It will be. appreciated that the seal ring I will be formed of' a type of well known sealing materials such as rubber or synthetic rubber which is pliable and fiowable under: pressure, and. thatit' is initially of such a: size. as to engage andtorm an initial. seal with the surface I I. It. will be appreciated. further that when the valve member 15 is held against the surface? II and pressure is applied thereto through the inlet opening 2,. this. pressure will tend to make the material of thesealring I0 flow into-thev joint between the surface It and the-seal member-1 andisea'lsuchjoint.

The substitute 4 isalso internally threaded from its upper end as indicated at l3 and is counterbored from its upper end to provide an upwardly facing shoulder M intermediate its. ends. It is further counterbored. below the; shoulder 14 as shown at I5 to provide an upwardly facing shoulder [6 for a purpose presently to be: described. The exterior of: the free end. ofv the substitute: 4 is threaded as shown at IT.

Opposite the outlet opening the body I' iszprovidedwith anopening. in alignment with the; outlet opening having relatively coarse: or fast lead threads I 8' therein. These threads and this opening are. adapted to receive anannular valve member l9 externally threaded to match the threads [8- in the body and having a cylindrical part below such threads adapted to pass through. a relatively close fitting portion. of. the: opening. This close fitting portion of the opening is provided with a groove adapted to receive a seal ring 20 similar in its. characteristics to the. seal ring in with the exception that it is of such a size. that initially it will form a seal about the exterior of the. annular valve member 19. This annular valve member on its lower end is provided with a valve seating surface preferably faced with ahard wear resistant material as indicated at 2|. This surface is of such a size and is. so positioned that when the valve member is rotated to move it downwardly within the threads l'8, thisseating surface 21 will be brought into seating engagement with the seating surface 8 on the valve seat member 1 thereby closing ofi fiowf'rom the inlet opening 2 through the outlet.

For the purpose of rotating this valve member [9 to close and open the valve in the manner just described, the-upper end-or the external end thereof is. provided with a non-circular(preferably hexagonal) part-22 which may be engaged by any suitable'wrench orthe like. This part 22 is preferably counterbored as shown at 23' providing an outwardly facing shoulder Mat the lower end of the counterbore.

Within the valve member l9 and closely fitting therein is a flow bean retainer which also may be said in a sense to serve as a guide for the valve member 19. This retainer'is indicated at 25 and portion 23 of the valve member l9.

an external diameter such that it will form an initial seal with the interior of the counterbored Above the flange 26. the retainer 25 is provided with a nonci'rcular part 28 whereby the retainer may be rotated, but it" will be. noted by reference to Fig. 1 that. when the valve member I9 is in its upper or open position; the non-circular portion 22 of the valve member .will. completely or substantially completely overlie the non-circular portion 28 on the: retainer member so that the retainer member cannot be rotated to remove it while the valve is open..

Within. its lower end. the retainer is counterbored from its lower end as. shown. at 29 to: provide a. downwardly facing; shoulder 3!!- opposed to the: shoulder H5 in. the substitute 4. Interposed between these shoulders t6 and. 30 is a flow bean 3lr.. I

Adjacent. its upper end the retainer 25. isv provided with. internal threads 32 adapted to receive the-externalthreads33. onthe-stem 34 of. a needle valve: 35'. The: needle valve portion 35 may be moved upwardly or downwardly by rotating the stem 34 within the threads 32,. so that the needle valvewill enter to a greater or-lesser extent. within the upper end of the. flow bean 3|. and decrease or increase the flow permitted therethrough.

Normally flow is permitted to take place from the inlet. opening 2' through the outlet opening of the. body I by way of the radial passages 36 through the retainer 25. It. will be seen; that with these passages 36 extending therethrough the retainer 25 takes on the form of a case at a position located substantially centrally with-respect to; the intake opening 2 and just above the valve seat. 8 on thevalve seat member I.

Leakage upwardly between. the retainer 25 and the stem of the needle valve: is prevented by means: of a seal ring 3'! located in an external groove formed on. the stem 34 below the threads 33. This seal ring is preferably of the same form and nature: as the seal rings previously described and is of such an external size that it will initially form. a seal with; the. interior. of the retainer 25.

Adjacent its upper end' the retainer 25 is counterboreda, short distance for the purpose of receiving the. indicator sleeve. 38 having an opening longitudinally thereof as; shown at 3.9 adjacent one side so that the stem 34 of the needle valve 35 may be viewed through the sleeve. Along. the edge of the opening 39: graduations are provided as shown at 40 so that. by observing that graduation which is opposite the groove or indicator mark 4| on the stem one may determine the degree to which. the 'valve 35 is closed or opened. The stem 34 may be rotated by means of a non-circular extension 42- on its upper-end.

It will. be seen that when the structure shown in Fig. l is in use and, it is. desired for any reason to change the bean 3! or the valve 35, flow throughv the body i may be shut 01f by turning the. non-circular upper end 22' of the valve memberi9 until the seat 2 I engages and forms a seal with respect to the seat 8. This rotation of the valve member [9 will move it downwardly and thus uncover or partly uncover the non-circular portion 28 on the retainer 25'. Thereupon the retainer 25 may be engagedwith a wrench orithe like and rotated to remove it from." its threaded engagement with the substitute 4: The removal of this retainer 25 will likewise remove thevalve 35 and will normally remove the. flowbean 3|. Thereupon another flow bean may be substituted and the retainer 25 andvalve 35 replaced, =or as will be presently set forth, a plug elementmay besubstituted for thevalve 35. l

Referring now to Fig. 2 of the drawings, there is illustrated the same structure as was "shownin Fig. 1 with the exception that a fixed type of flow bean I3I with a relatively smaller passage therethrough has been substituted for the flow bean 3| and a bleedertype of plug has been substituted for the needle valve 35. This ble'eder plug is provided with external threads 133 on a hollow stem portion I34 having a longitudinal passage I35 therethrough. Thispassage I35 leads from the lower end of this stem portion, upwardly to a point where it joins a radial passageway I35 leading to a groove I31 around the exterior of the stem of the plug. Justabove this groove I31 the plug is provided with an enlargement I38 the, lower. portion of which is adapted to'seat against a seat providedtherefor as shown at I39 on the upper end of the retainer-25. This ,seat is just above the groove I31 as illustrated in the drawing.

The bleeder plug is adapted to be rotated to tighten it or remove it by means of a non-circular upper extension I40.

With the use of the structure which has just been described, it is possible to put inplace a fixed type flow bean such as illustrated at I3I in Fig. 2 and to flow a wellinitially through such fiowbean for the purpose of testing the capacity of the well to produce, and thereafter to close the valve I9 so that the parts occupy the position illustrated in Fig. 2, whereupon the retainer may be removed and the fixed standard flow bean I3I taken out and replaced with a flow bean of any other size. Frequently after closing the valve I9, it is desired to bleed from the interior of the body I within the valve I9 the pressure which exists therein before removing the retainer 25. For this purpose, it is only necessary to loosen the bleeder plug I 34 until such pressure is bled oil through the passageways I35 and I36. Thereupon the retainer 25 may be removed with safety and the flow bean changed.

If desired, instead of changing to another size of fixed type of fiow bean, or to a type of fixed flow bean more suited for extended flow, it is pos-- sible to substitute a flow bean of the type shown at 3| in Fig. 1 which is of larger internal diameter and is adapted to receive the needle valve 35Efor the purpose of regulating the'flow from the well. The needle valve 35 is threaded into place within the retainer 25 in the same manner and using the same threads 32 as were used by the bleeder plug I34. Rotation of the stem 34 of; the needle valve 35 will serve to adjust the position of the needle valve until the rate of flow from the well is that which may be desired. This setting can be duplicated by rotation of the stem 3 4'-until the indicating mark 4| on the stem is opposite the desired point on the scale III.

The seal rings III, 20, 21 and 31 are of a well known type of sealing ring formed of a relatively pliable material flowable under pressure. These of; such size that they initially formfa contact but not a tight engagement with the surfaces 3 pressureis exerted upon such rings, the pressure tends to force theminto the joints which they areintended to seal, andtby causing them to flow toward such joints it causes them to more tightly engage the surfaces of the adjacent members and thereby provide' perfect seals. This type of ring is well known to provide a low friction leak proof durable seal. U I

It will be seen from the foregoing that a means has been provided for carrying out and accomplishing all of the'objects and advantages sought by this invention. 1 I

Having described my invention; I claim: 1. In a flow control unit, abody having inlet and outlet openings at an angle to eachu'other and a third openingfopposed to and in alignment with-said outlet opening, an annular valve seat and an inwardlyfacing annular shoulder carried by said body surrounding said outlet opening, an annular valve member extending through said third opening and movable therein to and from seated engagement with said valve seat to close and open a flow passage from said inlet to said outlet, means including a removable guide in thevalve member to plug the same against communication 'therethrough between the interior and the exterior of the body, said removable guide having a hollow cage-like part extending into and secured within said outlet opening to hold the guide normally stationary with respect to said body, and havin :an outwardly facing annular shoulder opposed to said first shoulder, and a bean clamped between said shoulders. u

2. In a flow control unit, a body having inlet and outlet openings at an angle to each other and a third opening opposite and in alignment with said outlet opening, an annular valve seat and an inwardly facing annular shoulder carried by said body surrounding said outlet opening. an annular valve member extending through said third opening and movable therein to and from seated engagement with said valve seat to close and open a flow passage from said inlet to said outlet, means including a removable guide and retainer member in the valve member to plug the same against communication therethrough between the interior and the exterior of the body, said removable guide having a hollow cage-like part extending into and secured within said outlet opening to hold the guide normally stationary with respect to said body and having an outwardly facing annular shoulder opposed to said first shoulder, a flow bean clamped between said shoulders, said guide being hollow throughout its length, and a needle valve having its stem th'readedly engaged in said hollow guide and retainer member and adapted to be moved toward and from said flow bean to vary the flow therethrough.

3. In a flow control .unit a body having inlet and outlet openings at an angle to each other and a third opening opposite and in alignment with said outlet opening, an annular valve seat and an inwardly facing annular shoulder carried by said body surrounding said outlet openfrom seated engagement with said valve seat to close and open (a flow passage from said inlet to said outlet; a removable retainer in the valve member and extending therethrough, said retainer having a hollow cage-like part extending into and secured within said outlet opening between which they are to form seals. .When and having an outwardly facing annularshoul- 7. cleriopposed .tor-saidr first shoulder, and a flow bean clamped-between said shoulders.

L In aifiow control unit, a body having inlet and outlet openings at an angle to each other and a third'ope'ning opposite and in alignment with said outlet opening, an annular valve seat and an inwardly'facing annular shoulder carried by said body surrounding said opening, an. 3111111". larvalve. member extending, through said third opening and movable therein to and from seated engagement with said valve-seat to close and open a flow passage from saidinletto said outlet, a removable retainer in theivalve member and extending'therethrough, said retainer having a h'ollow cage-like part extendinginto and seeu-redwitlnn said outlet opening and having; an outwardly facing annular shoulder opposed to said first shoulder, said retainer having anoperating portion projecting beyond saidibody and beyond said annularvalve member when said annular valve member is in closed position, said operating part being of such extent as to be substantially inclosed bytheouter-portion oi said annular valve member when said annular valve member is in. openv positionywhereby saidrretainer cannot readily be removed when said valve-member is open position,- and a flow beanclamped between said annular shoulders carried bythe body and by said retainer. v r I 5.;In a flow controlv unit-abodyuhaving inlet and: outlet openings at an angleto each. other and avth-ird opening opposite. and-:in alignment with saidoutlet opening. an annular valve seat carried by said body surrounding said outlet opening, an annular valve member. extending through said third opening and.- movable therein to and fromseated. engagement with said valve seat to close and open a flow passage from said inlet to said: outlet, andrlmeansxinoludingn removable guide-in the'valve; member to plug thev same against,communication.therethrough between the interior and the exterior'of the. body, said removable guide having a-hollow cage-like part extend ing: into and secured within said outlet opening to hold the guide normally stationary with-respect to said body, said guide having an operating part adjacent its outer extremity projecting beyond said annular valve member when said annular: valve member is inits-closed position, and being :ofsuclr extent as. to be substantially inelosed by said annular valve member when said annular valve member is in openv position, whereby said guide: may not readilybe removed when said annular-- valvemember is. in, open position.

HERBERT ALLEN.

0 REFERENCES CITED Thefollowing references are ofirecordinthe filesof this patent; 1

UNITED. STATES :IPJYI'EEIIITS I Number Name 1 Date I I 3 71,15? Wright Oct. 4;;1387 517,629 Stamp Apr. 3, 1894 1,047,774 Eynon Dec. 17, 1912 1,099,389 Morrison- June 9, 1914 1,360,431 Molas Nov.- 30, 1920 1,831,713 Knowlton Nov. 10,1931 l,832;228' 'Mattson Nov; 17, 1931 1,833,653 Martin Nov'. 24,,1931 1,985,279 Buller' Dec. 25, 1934 2,079,195 Yancey May 4, 193'} FOREIGN PATENTS 7 Number Country Date or France 1 of1934 

